CHAPTER 12

The house was quiet. It had been ever since Nora had left almost five months ago.

Valerie, despite her fear of Mary Louise, had stayed and watched out for the blonde; Mary Louise suspected it was out of guilt only.

Mary Louise laid curled up on the couch, staring at the chair that Nora used to sit in.

Valerie's boots sounded on the stairs and she came into the lounge.

She sighed sadly when she saw that Mary Louise hadn't moved since a few nights ago and she was begining to look very pale. Valerie had convinced her to go out and feed but that was getting harder to do. She didn't want to do anything. She didn't even want to move. She just wanted to lay there and stare at a chair, with one of Nora's tops that she'd forgotten pressed against her nose.

"Mare...you need to feed. You'll make yourself sick."

The blonde's eyes flicked to Valerie for only a second before going back to staring at Nora's chair.

Valerie walked over to the blonde but kept a safe distance.

"Nora wouldn't want you to do this. She'd want you to keep strong and healthy."

Mary Louise sighed and gripped Nora's top even tighter, her knuckles turning white.

Valerie tried to think of a way that Mary Lou would eat.

"What if I brought someone to you? You could feed that way."

"I don't want anything." The blonde muttered.

"You need to feed. You'll waste away and you won't be able to-"

"Be able to what?" She snapped, her eyes centering on Valerie.

"I've lost everything, Valerie, and if you were anyone at all, you'd have the good sense to kill me and put me out of my misery."

Valerie frowned at the blonde's words.

"I won't be doing that. I mean, alright, you annoy me and sometimes I even hate you but I would never kill you, Mare."

The blonde rolled her eyes and then continued to stare at the chair again, inhaling Nora's lingering scent as she closed her eyes.

Valerie sighed and left the house. There had to be a way to get Mary Louise to feed.

As soon as the door had shut, tears began to fall from Mary Louise's eyes.

This was how it was every day now. Valerie would come downstairs, find Mary Lou curled up on the couch with Nora's top just staring the chair, Valerie would go out and then Mary Louise would cry until she exhausted herself to sleep.

When she woke up, she would still be alone.

On that day, the same as any other day as far as she was concerned, a knock came at the door. She glared at the door as if it had offended her and then went back to staring again.

"Mary Louise?" A voice called.

The blonde frowned. Bonnie? It sounded like her but what did she want?

"Mary Louise, I heard...about Nora. I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

"I'm fine." Mary Lou shouted back, only raising her head a little so that her voice could be heard.

"I know that's not true. Valerie told me what happened. Can I come in?"

"No."

There was a pause before the witch spoke again.

"Y'know, Nora and I talked a lot. About you, about the two of you, maybe you'd like to give me your side of the story."

The blonde rolled her eyes. She didn't want to talk to anyone but if it was about Nora, she could do that. Sometimes talking about her helped but then when Mary Louise was alone and left with the memories, the pain came rushing back like a relentless tidal wave.

Still, Mary Lou got up, still holding onto Nora's top and opened the door.

Bonnie gave the vampire a small, sympathetic smile before Mary Louise turned her nose up in disgust and walked back to the couch.

"Oh don't give me that look. I can't stand pity."

Bonnie shut the door behind her and shrugged.

"And yet here you are wallowing in it."

"Pity from someone else I can't take, self pity, now that I can do just fine."

Bonnie looked around at the house. It was dark, depressing and all the flowers that had been dotted around the house had died.

Bonnie went to sit in Nora's chair.

"Not there!" Mary Louise barked at her.

Bonnie paused and then looked at the chair next to Nora's and sat on that instead.

"Sorry but...that was Nora's chair." She explained in a softer voice.

Bonnie nodded in understanding, although she felt a little awkward.

The blonde was sitting upright now with Nora's top in her lap, her fingers playing with a stray piece of thread.

"I know it's customary to offer a guest a drink but I'm afraid I just can't be bothered with etiquette. If you want one, the kitchen is through there." She said, gesturing with her head.

Bonnie smiled."

"I'm good, thank you."

Mary Louise only shrugged and Bonnie opened her mouth to speak;

"So, what about you? How have you been?"

The blonde's eyes locked on the witch and blinked as though the question was beyond ridiculous.

"The love of my life just left me and you're asking how I've been?"

Bonnie winced inwardly.

"Yeah, sorry, stupid question. Well, have you-"

"You came here to talk about Nora, not me."

"Alright, well...if it helps, I don't think you've lost Nora."

For the first time in months, the blonde's eyes lit up.

"You don't?"

"No. When you and Nora broke up- again Nora's decision- I found her after your talk in the hospital, She was on my bed, crying."

Mary Louise listened intently as Bonnie continued.

"She'll always love you, Mary Louise. I think she would've wanted you to go with her."

"And I would have but she made it perfectly clear that we're over."

Bonnie shook her head.

"Give her time. She'll come around."

"She's in England, Bonnie. I doubt she'll come running back anytime soon."

Bonnie shrugged.

"You never know."

The blonde gave her a bittersweet smile.

"Yes I do...Nora had this fantasy all planned out in her head. I suppose that she will try and see that out. The only difference is that it will not include me."

Bonnie frowned and then got to her feet, muttering something.

Mary Louise frowned.

"I didn't catch that, what did you say?"

"I said I am so sick of this!"

The blonde blinked up at her.

"You claim to love Nora but instead, you're sitting here feeling sorry for yourself when you should be out there, fighting for her! Trying to fix things between the two of you!"

"She is in England, or did I fail to mention that?" She questioned, the sarcasm evident in her voice.

"Then go to England! Make her see that there is no where you wouldn't go to find her! Show her that you haven't given up, no matter what she says."

The blonde looked doubtful, as though she wasn't sure what to do.

Bonnie looked her right in the eyes.

"When I first met you, you were something to be feared. You wouldn't let anyone make a fool of you-and if they did, they soon regreted it-and you sure as hell wouldn't give Nora up for anything in the world. Now show me that the Mary Louise I first met is still in there."

The blonde stood, facing the witch, her eyes darkening.

"No one speaks to me like that. Ever."

Bonnie felt a little fearful but stood her ground until Mary Lou grinned.

"But I'm glad you did."

She then went to the door, pulling on her boots and grabbing her jacket.

Bonnie frowned as she watched where she was going.

"Where are you going?"

The blonde smiled for the first time in months.

"I'm going to get my girlfriend back."

Author's Note- Another short chapter but I really wanted to give you guys something happy after that downer, but you gotta have a little heartache to appreciate the good, right? Hope you liked this one anyway. The next chapter will be longer. X